iStudio Publisher for Mac

Pros

Intuitive
Easy to Learn
Outstanding Customer Support
Excellent video tutorials

Cons

Have not found any yet

Summary

I am not a pro and I have never used desktop publishing before and I could figure most stuff out without having to look at the videos. I looked at the videos when I needed to. I can't say enough good things about the wonderful customer support. I believe I will get even more benefit as I learn how to use this program more!

Pros

peggyhamill40 Member Icon REVIEW
+0
peggyhamill40May 15, 201512345+0 My husband and I are working on our third book using I studio for all of our layout. We are not publishers. I am a retired nurse and my husband is an artist. We knew nothing about layout when we started this process. Our first book has won a finalist award in the two contests that we entered!!!! We are in our 60's and not whizzes on the computer. I used my very first computer when I was 45 years old ! Consequently, we have relied heavily on i Studio Support, which is THE BEST .. The responses are timely, accurate, and almost always solve our problem. If the problem continues, they stay with us until we get a resolution. I can't recommend this application highly enough.

Cons

I can't think of any for the uses that we use the program, which is to lay out books.

Pros

I LOVE iStudioPublisher! It is so "friendly" to use and yet can do so much. It is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. And I love the detailed support they provide on site. Their customer support is quick to respond, warm, friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful. I had been a Quark fan for years but I couldn't afford to buy it again when I upgraded my computer. Now I'm so glad because I like this program much better. It is much more flexible and has many more creative options. I love it that I have so much control over objects and text. I can put them exactly where I want them on a page. The program is set up so intuitively, it's as if they've anticipated all my needs.

Cons

Can't think of any.

Summary

I'm very excited to have discovered it. My mind smiles every time I use it. Awesome program!

Pros

Easy-to-follow self-help video tutorials
Prompt response from support team, great assistance even when still using the Free Trial.
Everything you need to publish small or large projects - mine was a 758 page book with 460 pages of colour images and graphics - fantastic.
The inspectors are great and easier to use compared to the pages app.
Wide range of creative tools.

Cons

Try to keep an eye on the size of the graphics you insert into your project, as the program will crash when one particular file (or chapter) becomes too large.
Good part is that iStudio Publisher automatically saves your work regularly, so very rarely do you lose any work in the case of a crash. Usually only the most recent additions, if any at all.

Remember to convert your images to the required colour format before you insert them into the document, otherwise there may be some time wasted when you upload your files to the printers in PDF as they will need to be amended later. e.g. CMYK - 4 colour.

Remember to make enquiries and allow for the text and images bleedings for a book project e.g.
A4 page = 297mm x 210mm plus bleedings of 3mm top, bottom, left and right = your finished page should be set at 306mm x 216mm. I used 15mm margin and should have used 18mm, and then had to change the size of the page to allow for text and image bleedings. Very time consuming for 758 pages!

Summary

Highly impressed and recommend to all levels of competence. Great app and great support team.
Distance was no problem, the support team were in the UK and I was based in Australia, the only delay was because of the time zone.
Once one becomes confidant with the app, there is no limit to your creative abilities and I hardly used a template. Cannot go past this if you are a beginner or a professional. Fantastic.

Pros

Easy to learn
Versatile
Good customer support - quick responses

Cons

The individual inspectors can be a big wonky to get to, but that's a very small obstacle.

Summary

iStudio Publisher has been easy for me to learn and use, and that began before all the new templates were available.

Pros

Online tutorials
More and more templates becoming available
Fine control of where things end up on the page
Loads of functionality for the price

Cons

Imports large images (produced by modern cameras) without warning the user of the possible consequences

Summary

I am not very experienced at creating artwork and documents on the computer, but I have found the combination of iStudio Publisher and the Mac incredibly easy to use

Pros

There's a trial version that's the full product.
Loads of functionality for a small price.
Great videos on the website and the help pages are really good.
Lots of control over where things go and how they look.

Cons

Not really found any yet, but I've not been using it that long.
One thing I would say - I would like to see more languages supported, because a couple of my friends have asked, and English isn't their main language.

Summary

I love it. I think this app is great, particulary for the money. I bought it on the app store for the price of a round of drinks. I've created loads of things and it keeps surprising me with what it's capable of.
I'd say to anyone thinking about getting it that it's well worth the money, and to check out the video tutorials on the website if you aren't sure. That's what I did first.

I've seen one or two other reviews of people complaining about the functionality in the trial, but I couldn't find any problems. Seems to function fully, as it says on their site.
Also the inspectors have got LOADS of functionality to do just about anything.

Pros

Quick to learn
Website tutorials are well worth watching
Will flow text around curves
Good value

Cons

Page bleed requires manual setup

Summary

I'm no graphical des but have used this to quickly knock out several flyers - friends assume I've paid a professional! Has saved me loads! Thanks iStudio. My kids also like it.

Pros

I'm usually pretty positive but I can't think of one

Cons

Initially I was only given access to 3 boring templates
Everything about this program is cumbersome

Summary

This is a painful program. There is nothing intuitive or easy about it- I'm talking just the basics. Right click functions are not existent. Every transition between graphics and texts requires about 4-5 clicks and movements all over the page. Even functions that appear to work are unreliable such as activating an image box to re-size. Finding a text tool bar is a deeply protected mystery. I was unable to change fonts, change colors, change text within text boxes I had just created. Even if you are more the graphic realm- working with text is a pretty key function. The only way I found to even do ANYTHING with text gave me limited options to upsize, downsize bold or italic on the main dropdown menu. No possibility of changing font, colors paragraph, fill, etc. So- even if I'm missing a big piece here, I'm still stranded because a user manual is nowhere to be found and the help menu is non- functional. No road map available to even scavenge hunt for a text toolbar. Starting a flyer with this program and getting so stuck in the middle was like being on a sinking ship I couldn't abandon as I needed to get this damn thing done !!! If the unlicensed version is either this full of bugs- or this limited in functionality then the marketing geniuses are on crack. I will not touch any version of this program with a ten foot pole, it's already created too much pain and wasted time I will never get back ! There's gotta be a better way, I would look elsewhere.